Otsego County, New York
Otsego County | |
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Cooperstown | |
UTC−4 (EDT) | |
Congressional districts | 19th, 21st |
Website | www |
Otsego County is a county in the U.S. state of New York located within the Mohawk Valley Region. As of the 2020 census, the population was 58,524.[2] The county seat is Cooperstown.[3] The county's population center is Oneonta. The name Otsego is from a Mohawk or Oneida word meaning "place of the rock."[4] The county is part of the Mohawk Valley region of the state.
History
In 1789, Ontario County was split off from Montgomery. The area split off from Montgomery County was much larger than the present county, as it included the present Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Niagara, Orleans, Steuben, Wyoming, Yates, and part of Schuyler and Wayne counties.
Formation
Otsego County was one of three early counties split off from Montgomery (the other two being
- Cherry Valley in the northeast,
- Otsego in the northwest, and
- Harpersfield in the south.
Otsego and Cherry Valley together roughly covered the area of modern Otsego County, while Harpersfield covered the area south of the current county as far as the Delaware River.
Governor George Clinton made the original appointments to Otsego County government positions, including:
- Richard R. Smith, county sheriff, from Otsego township,
- Jacob Morris, county clerk, from Otsego township,
- William Cooper, chief judge, founder of Cooperstown and from Otsego township,
- Jedediah Peck, associate justice from Otsego township,
- Edward Griswold, associate justice from Cherry Valley
- Platt Townsend, associate justice from Harpersfield,
- Alexander Harper, commander of the county militia, from Harpersfield.
New towns
By 1793, four towns had been added to the county by division of the existing towns:
- The Otsego township had been divided into the towns of:
- Burlington in the west,
- Otsego in the northeast,
- Richfield in the north, and
- Unadillain the south.
- Harpersfield had been divided into the towns of:
- Franklinin the west and
- Harpersfield in the east.
In 1795, a piece of Otsego County was joined with a portion taken from Albany County to create Schoharie County.
In 1797, a piece of Otsego County was joined with a portion taken from Ulster County to create Delaware County.
In 1843, Otsego County, Michigan was named after the county in New York.[5]
Geography
According to the
Otsego County is in central New York State, to the west of
Adjacent counties
- Herkimer County - north
- Montgomery County - northeast
- Schoharie County - east
- Delaware County - south
- Chenango County - southwest
- Oneida County - northwest
- Madison County - northwest
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1800 | 21,343 | — | |
1810 | 38,802 | 81.8% | |
1820 | 44,856 | 15.6% | |
1830 | 51,372 | 14.5% | |
1840 | 49,628 | −3.4% | |
1850 | 48,638 | −2.0% | |
1860 | 50,157 | 3.1% | |
1870 | 48,967 | −2.4% | |
1880 | 51,397 | 5.0% | |
1890 | 50,861 | −1.0% | |
1900 | 48,939 | −3.8% | |
1910 | 47,216 | −3.5% | |
1920 | 46,200 | −2.2% | |
1930 | 46,710 | 1.1% | |
1940 | 46,082 | −1.3% | |
1950 | 50,763 | 10.2% | |
1960 | 51,942 | 2.3% | |
1970 | 56,181 | 8.2% | |
1980 | 59,075 | 5.2% | |
1990 | 60,517 | 2.4% | |
2000 | 61,676 | 1.9% | |
2010 | 62,259 | 0.9% | |
2020 | 58,524 | −6.0% | |
U.S. Decennial Census[7] 1790-1960[8] 1900-1990[9] 1990-2000[10] 2010-2020[2] |
As of the
as their first language.There were 23,291 households, out of which 29.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.10% were married couples living together, 9.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.10% were non-families. 27.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.70% under the age of 18, 14.40% from 18 to 24, 24.30% from 25 to 44, 23.60% from 45 to 64, and 15.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 93.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $33,444, and the median income for a family was $41,110. Males had a median income of $29,988 versus $22,609 for females. The
2020 Census
Race | Num. | Perc. |
---|---|---|
White (NH)
|
51,490 | 88% |
Black or African American (NH)
|
1,189 | 2.03% |
Native American (NH)
|
109 | 0.2% |
Asian (NH)
|
813 | 1.4% |
Pacific Islander (NH)
|
7 | 0.01% |
Other/Mixed (NH)
|
2,524 | 4.31% |
Latino
|
2,392 | 4.1% |
Government and politics
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2020 | 14,382 | 51.22% | 12,975 | 46.21% | 723 | 2.57% |
2016 | 13,308 | 51.85% | 10,451 | 40.72% | 1,909 | 7.44% |
2012 | 11,461 | 47.48% | 12,117 | 50.20% | 561 | 2.32% |
2008 | 12,026 | 46.04% | 13,570 | 51.95% | 525 | 2.01% |
2004 | 13,342 | 50.06% | 12,723 | 47.74% | 587 | 2.20% |
2000 | 12,219 | 48.19% | 11,460 | 45.19% | 1,679 | 6.62% |
1996 | 8,774 | 36.37% | 11,470 | 47.54% | 3,882 | 16.09% |
1992 | 10,141 | 38.12% | 10,471 | 39.36% | 5,994 | 22.53% |
1988 | 13,021 | 53.51% | 11,069 | 45.49% | 245 | 1.01% |
1984 | 16,777 | 63.28% | 9,582 | 36.14% | 152 | 0.57% |
1980 | 11,814 | 49.42% | 8,795 | 36.79% | 3,298 | 13.80% |
1976 | 14,796 | 59.77% | 9,787 | 39.54% | 171 | 0.69% |
1972 | 17,364 | 68.58% | 7,898 | 31.19% | 59 | 0.23% |
1968 | 13,543 | 59.67% | 7,981 | 35.16% | 1,172 | 5.16% |
1964 | 8,643 | 36.23% | 15,190 | 63.67% | 26 | 0.11% |
1960 | 17,422 | 68.73% | 7,899 | 31.16% | 26 | 0.10% |
1956 | 19,484 | 77.54% | 5,644 | 22.46% | 0 | 0.00% |
1952 | 20,304 | 76.78% | 6,115 | 23.12% | 27 | 0.10% |
1948 | 15,437 | 66.55% | 7,174 | 30.93% | 586 | 2.53% |
1944 | 15,427 | 66.17% | 7,849 | 33.67% | 37 | 0.16% |
1940 | 16,771 | 68.04% | 7,798 | 31.64% | 78 | 0.32% |
1936 | 16,682 | 67.36% | 7,807 | 31.52% | 276 | 1.11% |
1932 | 14,904 | 64.06% | 8,114 | 34.88% | 247 | 1.06% |
1928 | 18,286 | 74.32% | 6,006 | 24.41% | 314 | 1.28% |
1924 | 13,573 | 65.67% | 5,841 | 28.26% | 1,256 | 6.08% |
1920 | 12,112 | 63.88% | 6,275 | 33.09% | 574 | 3.03% |
1916 | 5,926 | 48.16% | 5,975 | 48.56% | 403 | 3.28% |
1912 | 5,138 | 40.65% | 5,338 | 42.23% | 2,165 | 17.13% |
1908 | 7,459 | 53.37% | 5,975 | 42.75% | 543 | 3.88% |
1904 | 7,770 | 55.44% | 5,725 | 40.85% | 519 | 3.70% |
1900 | 7,893 | 54.84% | 6,142 | 42.67% | 359 | 2.49% |
1896 | 8,161 | 56.37% | 5,820 | 40.20% | 496 | 3.43% |
1892 | 7,095 | 49.49% | 6,408 | 44.70% | 833 | 5.81% |
1888 | 7,829 | 50.95% | 6,972 | 45.37% | 565 | 3.68% |
1884 | 6,871 | 43.78% | 8,307 | 52.93% | 516 | 3.29% |
1880 | 7,156 | 49.10% | 7,184 | 49.29% | 235 | 1.61% |
1876 | 6,859 | 49.04% | 7,027 | 50.24% | 101 | 0.72% |
1872 | 6,236 | 49.78% | 6,275 | 50.10% | 15 | 0.12% |
1868 | 6,568 | 51.95% | 6,075 | 48.05% | 0 | 0.00% |
1864 | 6,151 | 50.43% | 6,047 | 49.57% | 0 | 0.00% |
1860 | 6,543 | 51.95% | 6,051 | 48.05% | 0 | 0.00% |
1856 | 6,373 | 56.92% | 3,595 | 32.11% | 1,229 | 10.98% |
1852 | 4,454 | 42.11% | 5,488 | 51.89% | 634 | 5.99% |
1848 | 3,929 | 41.00% | 3,674 | 38.34% | 1,979 | 20.65% |
1844 | 4,743 | 42.33% | 6,050 | 53.99% | 413 | 3.69% |
1840 | 4,856 | 46.27% | 5,580 | 53.16% | 60 | 0.57% |
1836 | 2,469 | 34.79% | 4,627 | 65.21% | 0 | 0.00% |
Otsego County is generally a swing and bellwether county, having voted for the winner of the national election in every election from 1980 to 2016. In 2004, Otsego County voted 51–48 percent in favor of George W. Bush. In 2008 and 2012, Otsego County voted in favor of Barack Obama. Democrats are prevalent in the City of Oneonta and Village of Cooperstown, whereas the majority of voters in many of the surrounding towns are registered Republicans. In 2020 the county voted for 51%-46% Donald Trump, and lost its bellwether status when Biden won the election.
Otsego County is the only county in New York that names its legislative body the Board of Representatives. It consists of fourteen members elected from single-member districts. The Board Chair is David Bliss (R). The county also has an elected District Attorney, County Treasurer, County Clerk, and County Sheriff.
Media
Along with Herkimer County and the eastern portion of Oneida County, northern Otsego County is considered part of the Utica television market, while the Southern half of the county, including the city of Oneonta, is considered to be in the Binghamton television market.[14]
Economy
The Village of Cooperstown (home of
The primary contributor to the economy is healthcare: Bassett Medical Center, the headquarters of Bassett Healthcare Network and its more than 3,000 employees, is located here.
The City of Oneonta has two institutions of higher education: Hartwick College and the State University of New York at Oneonta; A.O. Fox Memorial Hospital, an affiliate of the Bassett Network; major retail activity; and numerous small businesses. The county as a whole remains relatively rural, with dairy farming a contributing industry that has consolidated employment in recent years, although production has remained steady.
Communities
City
Towns
- Burlington
- Butternuts
- Cherry Valley
- Decatur
- Edmeston
- Exeter
- Hartwick
- Laurens
- Maryland
- Middlefield
- Milford
- Morris
- New Lisbon
- Oneonta
- Otego
- Otsego
- Pittsfield
- Plainfield
- Richfield
- Roseboom
- Springfield
- Unadilla
- Westford
- Worcester
Villages
- Cherry Valley
- Cooperstown (county seat)
- Gilbertsville
- Laurens
- Milford
- Morris
- Otego
- Richfield Springs
- Unadilla
Census-designated places
Hamlets
See also
- List of counties in New York
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Otsego County, New York
References
- ^ "US Census 2020 Population Dataset Tables for New York". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
- ^ a b "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Otsego County, New York". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ISBN 9781404751552. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
- ^ https://www.michigan.gov/libraryofmichigan/public/michigan/county-guides/guides/otsego
- ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on May 19, 2014. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
- ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
- ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
- ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
- ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Otsego County, New York".
- ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
- ^ "WKTV.com | WKTV bringing CBS affiliation to Utica". WKTV.com. October 26, 2015. Archived from the original on October 27, 2015. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
Further reading
- Butterfield, Lyman H. "Cooper's Inheritance: The Otsego Country and its Founders", New York History, Vol. 35, No. 4 (October, 1954), pp. 374–411.
- French, J. H. "Otsego County", Gazetteer of the State of New York, Syracuse, New York: R. Pearsall Smith, 1860
- Sullivan, James; Williams, Melvin E.; Conklin, Edwin P.; Fitzpatrick, Benedict, eds. (1927), "Chapter III. Otsego County.", History of New York State, 1523–1927 (PDF), vol. 5, New York City, Chicago: Lewis Historical Publishing Co., p. 715-22, Wikidata Q114149630
External links
- Official Otsego County Government site
- Otsego County at Curlie
- Henderson Scout Reservation - Boy Scout Camp serving Otsego County